


Without You: Collector Attack

by BardofHeartDive



Series: Without You [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Headcanon, Loss, Lost Love, Moving On, Tale of Woe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:59:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4302237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardofHeartDive/pseuds/BardofHeartDive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Divergent point: Mara is not resurrected by Cerberus after the Collector attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without You: Collector Attack

**Author's Note:**

> In a way, I have done you all a terrible disservice with this piece. Even though the divergent point occurs with the Illusive Man's decision not to bring Shepard back, it doesn't cause any difference until after Horizon. A larger piece covering Kaidan's relationship with Minnie is something I've been working up the nerve to start but I haven't quite gotten there yet. So by the time THIS story would take place, there's been a lot between them that you have completely missed out on. It's sloppy authorship and I'm sorry.
> 
> Also, it's very short. One chapter for the whole thing.

“Shepard did everything right. More than we could’ve hoped for. Saving the Citadel - even saving the Council. Humanity has the trust of the entire galaxy.”

With her back to the observation window, the Illusive Man saw Miranda as a black silhouette against the blue and red star. It was just as well. His attention was focused on the display between them. A dozen or so newsfeeds were playing, all showing images of Commander Mara Shepard and the wake of her recent actions.

“Our sacrifices have earned the Council’s gratitude,” the Illusive Man agreed. “Shepard played her part well.”

“And now they’re sending her to fight geth.”

“Let her go,” he said. “She makes an excellent figurehead, a bone for the diplomats and politicians.” He took a deep drag from his cigarette. “We both know she’s too concerned with appeasing the rest of the galaxy to truly serve humanity.”

“That still leaves the question of the Reapers.” It wasn’t an objection, just a statement of fact. “Shepard may be idealistic but she's a hero, a bloody icon.”

“There are always other options.” He had two in mind, though he hadn’t made any decisions yet. “And a hero makes for an excellent martyr.”

* * *

“Kaidan?”

It had taken Minnie ten minutes to realize that he wasn’t eating the spaghetti, just pushing it around his plate. She wasn’t sure whether that spoke more to her frame of mind or his, but at least she knew what was distracting her. Based on the absent look on his face, it was something she needed to get out of the way before moving in on her issue.

“Hmmm?” He looked up. His eyes focused when they reached her face. He put his fork on his plate with a sigh. “Minnie, I’m sorry. There was something you wanted to talk about?”

“It can wait,” she answered. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just this last mission. I ran into some people I knew - well, knew of. Commanders Ramsey and Ewing.”

Minnie shook her head. She didn’t recognize them.

“They’re big names in the Alliance,” Kaidan explained. “Ewing survived our first encounter with thresher maws and Ramsey led the raid on Torfan in 78.”

“Extra back up?”

“Not from the Alliance. They were there with Cerberus.” He laughed but the sound lacked any humor. “Shepard is dead and two of our other heroes are working for terrorist group. And the worst part of it is, they might actually be doing some good.”

“That’s the worst part?”

“The colonists didn’t want us there. They thought all the attention we were giving them made them more of a target. And then when they did get hit, I couldn’t help them. But they could. They had to leave the Alliance and join up with Cerberus but they could.”

“Kaidan, it wasn’t your fault.” He laughed, the same grim sound. “I know it’s the last thing you want to hear but it’s true. What they did or didn’t do . . . it doesn’t say anything about you, or the Alliance, or Shepard. I know you and I know you did everything you could.”

“Yeah. Yeah I guess. Thanks.” He looked at his plate as if seeing it for the first time and took a huge forkful of spaghetti. “Okay, enough about me. Your go.”

“GUReE contacted me while you were gone,” she said. “Once the actual fighting on Taetrus is over, they’re planning on sending in a group. Based on their projections it looks like four or five months.” She looked at him. He had just taken another bite of spaghetti. His face was attentive but gave no hint of his thoughts. “They want me to lead the medical division.”

“And you wouldn’t let me take you out?” he asked. “Minnie, we should be celebrating.”

“Well . . . I haven’t accepted yet. I wanted to talk to you about it first.”

“What’s there to talk about? It’s practically your dream job. You have to go.” She saw the moment he understood what she wasn’t saying. “Look, we’ll have time to sort us out. You said the estimate was four months.”

“If I accept I’ll need to relocate to the Palaven headquarters as soon as possible. They wanted an answer before you got back. I told them they’d have to wait.”

“Minnie . . . I’m a soldier. I admit your stories make it sound like an amazing experience but I can’t just walk away from the Alliance.” He didn’t say “like Ewing and Ramsey” but it hung in the air between them. “I won’t.”

“You wouldn’t have to,” she said. “GUReE runs partnerships with most of the militaries, including the Alliance. I worked with a whole group of active-duty servicemen on Charuk.” She sighed. She was dangerously close to breaking her promise and she needed to choose her words carefully. “You don’t have to do it. We can figure out a way to make this work. Hell, that’s practically what we’re doing now. I just couldn’t say yes without talking to you first.”

Kaidan nodded. There was a pregnant silence, which he eventually broke, asking, “Are you still in contact with any of those servicemen?”

* * *

The scene in the tunnel reminded Kaidan of a haunted house. The strings of emergency lights swung with every shudder, throwing macabre shadows on the walls. The moans of patients punctuated with the cries of their loved-ones echoed and reechoed ghoulishly. The air was thick and stale, making him feel claustrophobic for the first time.

Even in the obscuring conditions, he found Minnie immediately. With her blood-covered smock, she could have been the mad doctor in a horror vid. She was standing at the foot of a bed reviewing a chart, her face scrunched into a scowl. It disappeared when she looked up and saw him. She hung the chart on the edge of the bed, took off the smock, and weaved her way toward him through the crowd. By the time she reached him, she was almost running. She flew into his arms like he’d been gone on a six-month tour instead of three hours of reconnaissance.

After what seemed like hours she loosened her hold enough for him to bend down and kiss her. Even when they broke the kiss, he kept his face near enough to hers that he could feel her breath against his cheek.

“Do you have a minute?” he asked.

It was a stupid question. As the leading doctor, she wouldn’t have an undisturbed minute until everyone was stabilized or dead. But she nodded and they walked further down the tunnel. When they’d gone a fair distance, they ducked into one of the nooks in the wall.

“It’s Reapers,” he said. “Not just cannibals and marauders, actual Reapers. Scans show eleven already in atmo, two or three times that incoming.” He stopped, unsure how to deliver the worst of the news. “They’re collapsing the tunnels. The group at Beringer managed to get above ground and was ambushed. It sounded bad.”

“Buried alive or taken,” she said, her voice faltering. She took a gasping breath and the exhale turned into a sob. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I brought you here.”

“Hey . . . no. No, no, no. Listen to me. There’s no other place I’d rather be than here.” He took her face in his hands, wiping the tears with his thumbs. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Canon Notes:  
> Taetrus is a turian planet that experiences a short war between separatists and the Hierarchy in 2185. It is also one of the first planets taken by the Reapers the next year.
> 
> Headcanon Notes:  
> GUReE stands for "Galaxy United Relief Efforts." It is a group that aims to promote peaceful relationships between the Citadel species by sending teams made of different species to help with post-conflict recovery, natural disaster relief, etc. 
> 
> Dr. Minerva "Minnie" Timmons is the doctor that Kaidan mentions in his letter to Shepard after Horizon. She specializes in critical care and trauma and has extensive experience working with turian (as well as human) patients. Prior to meeting Kaidan, she spent five years with GUReE on Charuk, a developing turian colony. She also makes an appearance in [Nothing Serious](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3898063), which takes place Pheobe Shepard's universe.


End file.
